Motor-vehicle.



UNrriEn raras PATENT @Fries ALDEN E. OSBORN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MOTO R-VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 712,001, dated October28, 1902.

Application iiled January 9, 1902. Serial No. 89,001. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALDEN E. OsBORN, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the city of New York, borough of the Bronx, in the countyand State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements inMotor-Vehicles, of which the following isa full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to various improvements in the framing of motorvehicles, whereby the motor is mounted. The object is to eect as directa connection as possible between the motor and a driving-wheel, which isalso arranged to steenthe vehicle. cordingto the present example of myinvention the frame is of approximately triangular form, and the vehiclehas three wheels, one serving as both a pilot or steering wheel and adriving-wheel, it being so mounted that it can turn in steering aroundan axis ranging across the true axis of the wheel, while the other twowheels simply support the other end of the vehicle and may be looselymounted on a stationary axle. A motorframe is provided which isconnected with the wheel, so as to swing as the wheel turns around thesaid transverse axis, the swinging movement of the motor and themotor-frame being concentric to this axis.

This specification is a specific disclosure of one example of myinvention, while the claims define the actual scope of the invention.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the vehicle. Fig. 2.*is a plan View ofthe frame. Fig. 3 is a section Yshowing the manner of mounting the wheeland the connection thereto of the motor-frame. Fig. 4 is a sectionshowing the slidable connection between the motor-frame and thevehicle-frame proper, and Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing theapplication vof antifriction-rollers to this connection.

The vehicle-frame, as best shown in Fig. 2, has side bars convergingtoward the front of the machine and rigidly connected together by ashort front axle 11. This axle passes continuously through the frontwheel12 and' I.forms an unbroken connection between the side bars 10 ofthe frame. Cross-bars 14 pass between the side bars 10 to strengthen theframe at intermediate points, and 15' indicates the rear axle, carryingthe supportingwheels 16 in any suitable manner, said wheels being shownas loose, although they may be connected to a motor and drive thevehicle as well as the front wheel.

The front wheel 12 has its hub 17 mounted to turn freely oula shell 18,the axisof this turning movement being the longitudinal axis of the axle11, and the shell18 is mounted to rock on the axle 11, the axis of therocking movement being vertical and at right angles to the axle 11.Projected transversely from each end of the shell 18 is an arm 19, andto these arms are fastened in any suitable manner the longitudinal sidebars 2O of the motor-frame. These side bars 2O extend rearwardly to apoint adjacent to the front bar of the main frame and are there suitablyconnected together by a transverse crosspiece 21, (see Fig. 4,) thiscross-piece carrying a slide 22, which runs on an arc-shaped guide 23,fastened rigidly to the side bars 10 and curved concentrically to theaxis of the rocking movement of the shell 18.

24 indicates the motor, which may be of any suitable kind and form andthe details of which I have not attempted to illustrate.

25 indicates a sprocket-chain used in this case between the motor, atransmission-gear 26, and a sprocket-wheel on the hub 17 of the wheel12, said transmission-gear being of any suitable form and may or may notbe employed, as desired. This transmission-gear forms no part of thepresent invention.

Now it will be seen that in driving the vehicle the force of the motoris transmitted to the front wheel 12, and this wheel thereforeconstitutes the traction or driving Wheel of the vehicle. lt will alsobe seen that in steering the-vehicle the wheel 12 is slued with theshell 18 around the vertical axis of said shell, and this turning orsluing movement of the wheel 12 is necessarily coincident with theswinging of the motor-frame made up of the parts 2O and 21 around theturning axis of the shell 18, during which movement the slide 22 runsfreely along the arcshaped guide 23. According to the arrangement hereshown the steering movement is transmitted IOO to the wheel l2 throughthe medium of the m eter-frame, and any desired mechanism may beemployed for this purpose. As here shown, a rack 27 is fastened to themotor-frame at the lower part thereof and meshed with a gear 28, mountedon the vehicle-frame and connected in anydesired manner with asteering-shaft 29.

If desired, the slide 22 (shown in Fig. 4) may be changed to the formindicated at 22L in Fig. 5 and antifriction-rollers 30 carried on thisslide to run on the guide 23, Also it will be observed that in Fig. 4the guide 23 is illustrated in I-beam form, and in Fig. 5 the guide 23ais in channel-iron form. Various other modifications in the details ofthe device may be resorted to Without in any way affecting the substanceof the invention, such as changing the relative positions of the guideand motor, the guide being placed between the.

motor and Wheel, or curving the frame-tube to correspond with the arc ofthe guidein order that it can serve the same purpose.

The advantages of this invention can be readily appreciated. It providesa single front Wheel, which is both a driving and steering wheel,resulting in very easy running and great simplicity, as complicatedequalizing arrangements are not required. It also obviates the dangeroustendency to skid pessesscd by all rear-driven vehicles, while at thesame time mounting the propelling-motor so that it can drive the vehiclein the most direct manner possible, thus tending further to reduce thecomplication and expense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A vehicle, comprising side frame-bars convergingtoward one end of the frame, an unbroken axle fastened rigidly to theconverged ends of said side bars and extending between them to connectthem firmly together, a wheel mounted on the axle, said Wheel beingcapable of rotary movement around the axle independently thereof todrive the vehicle and of sluing movement to steer the vehicle, bothmovements being independent of the axle, and a motor geared With thewheel to impart the driving movement thereto independently of the'rigidaxle.

2. In a vehicle, the combination of a frame,

Acomprising a rigid axle, a wheel mounted on steer the vehicle, bothmovements being in-4 dependent of the axle, a motor connected with thewheel to follow its sluing or steering movements, and a means fortransmitting from the motor to the wheel the said driving movements ofthe wheel.

4. A vehicle, comprising side bars converging toward one end of theframe, an unbroken axle fastened rigidly to the converged ends of theside bars and extending between them to connect them firmly together, awheel mounted on the axle, said wheel being capable of a turningmovement around the axle to drive the vehicle and also of a sluingmovement on the axle to steer the vehicle, both movements beingindependent of the axle, a motor connected to the wheel to follow itssluing or steering movements, and means for transmitting from the motorto the wheel the said driving movements of the Wheel.

5. In a vehicle, the combination of a frame, comprising a rigid axle, aWheel mounted on the axle, said wheel being capable of a rotary movementaround the axle to drive the vehicle and also of a sluing movement onthe axle to steer the vehicle, both movements being independent of theaxle, a motor, a motor-frame movably mounted on the vehicleframe andconnected to the wheel to follow its sluing or driving movements, and ameans for transmitting from the motor to the Wheel the driving movementsof the latter.

6. A vehicle, comprising a main frame, a wheel, means for mounting theWheel, said means being rigid on the main frame, and said wheel beingcapable of rotary movement to drive the vehicle and of sluing movementto steer the vehicle, both movements being independent of the saidmounting means, and a motor geared directly with the Wheel, to impartits driving movement thereto.

7. A vehicle, comprising a main frame proper, a wheel mounted thereon,said Wheel being capable of rotary movement to drive the vehicle and ofsluing movement to steer the vehicle, a motor-frame connected with thewheel to follow the sluing or steering movements of the same, a motorcarried on the motor -frame, and means for transmitting from the motorto the Wheel the said driving movement thereof.

8. A vehicle comprising a main frame proper, a wheel mounted thereon,said wheel being capable of rotary movement to drive the vehicle and ofsluing movement to steer the vehicle, a motor-frame connected with thewheel to follow the sluing or steering movements of the same, a motorcarried on the motor-frame, means for transmitting from the motor to thewheel the said driving movement thereof, and means for imparting to themotor-frame movement to cause the sluing or steering movement of thewheel.

9. In a vehicle, the combination of a frame, comprising a rigid axle, awheel mounted on the axle, said Wheel being capable of a rotary movementaround the axle to drive the vehicle, and also of a sluing movement onthe axle to steer the vehicle, both movements being IOO IIO

independent of the axle, a motor, a motorframe movably mounted on thevehicle-frame and connected to the wheel to follow its sluing or drivingmovements, a meansfor transmitting from the motor to the wheel thedriving movements of the latter, and means for moving themotor-frame,whereby to impart to the wheel its sluing or steeringmovements.

10. In a vehicle, the combination of a frame, a Wheel mounted thereon,said Wheel being capable of rotary movement to drive the vehicle and ofsluing movement to steer the vehicle, a motor-frame connected to thewheel to follow its sluing or steering movements, a guide on thevehicle-frame, a slide on the motor-frame, the slide running on theguide, a motor mounted on the motor frame, and means for transmittingfrom the motor to the Wheel the said driving movements of the wheel.

l1. In a vehicle, the combination of a substantially triangular frame, asingle front Wheel, means for mounting the wheel on the frame, saidmeans being rigid on the frame, and said wheel being capable of rotarymovement to drive the vehicle and of sluing or steering movement tosteer the vehicle, both movements being independent of the wheelmountingmeans, and a motor geared directly with the Wheel, to impart saiddriving movement thereto. y

. 12. A vehicle comprising a main frame, a Wheel, means for mounting theWheel, said means being rigid on the main frame, and said Wheel beingcapable of rotary movement to drive the vehicle and ofsluing movement tosteer the vehicle, both movements being independent of the said mountingmeans, a motor-frame movably mounted on the main frame and connectedwith the Wheel, to follow the steering movements thereof, and a motorcarried on the motor-frame and geared with the Wheel, to impart thedriving movement thereto.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALDEN E. OSBORN.

Vitnesses:

JOHN H. GRATAOAP, W. W. OsBoRN.

